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AFP
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Sandra Torres says she is the sufferer of a political witch hunt
The runner-up in August’s presidential election in Guatemala, Sandra Torres, has been arrested.
Ms Torres, 63, is suspected of breaking marketing campaign finance guidelines and of illegal affiliation, the attorney-general’s workplace mentioned.
She as arrested on Monday morning at her residence close to Guatemala Metropolis.
Ms Torres – a former first girl whose husband, Álvaro Colom, was president from 2008 to 2012 – described her arrest as a political witch hunt.
Who’s Sandra Torres?
Ms Torres ran for the presidency 3 times and failed every time to be elected.
Regardless of by no means making it to the highest publish, she was thought-about to have been the “energy behind the throne” throughout Mr Colom’s presidency.
She divorced him in 2011 to bypass a regulation that banned shut relations of the president from succeeding him. Mr Colom is at the moment below investigation for alleged fraud.
Ms Torres gained the primary spherical of the presidential election in June, however was overwhelmed by her conservative rival, Alejandro Giammattei, by a 15-point margin within the second spherical on 11 August.
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Media captionWatch Alejandro Giammattei have fun his election victory
She and her occasion got here below investigation earlier this yr for alleged marketing campaign irregularities however as soon as she had registered as presidential candidate, she loved immunity from prosecution.
Following her election defeat, that not utilized.
Corruption was one of many most important points voters mentioned they needed to see tackled by the brand new president.
